Joe Keery has won the hearts of millions after his role as Steve Harrington in Netflix’s sci-fi horror coming-of-age drama Stranger Things. Not just him but the entire ensemble of this sinister drama seems to have elated the fans and critics alike. They even bagged a Screen Actors Guild award in 2017 for an outstanding cast in a series. However, the history of Stranger Things would have altered had he played the loner Jonathan Byers and not a once-boyfriend jerk- Steve.

And did you know this unimaginable thing could have really happened? The actor wouldn’t be the character he is but someone entirely different if they had assigned him the character of Will Byers’ older brother. Keery recently spilled beans about how he sent in an audition for an entirely different character and not Harrington.

Joe Keery didn’t audition for Steve Harrington but THIS character initially

Talking with Kelly and Ryan, the actor revealed he hadn’t sent in a taped audition for Steve Harrington earlier. Instead, he read for the role of Jonathan Byers, which ended up going to the British actor Charlie Heaton. However, he auditioned again, this time for Steve, who eventually became a favorite fan character.

Furthermore, Joe Keery playing Jonathan would have altered the tone of the show. Therefore it’s a good thing he didn’t get the part. Since he seems more of a jock type of character, audiences might not have believed that he could portray an outcast. Keery is a talented actor indeed. But Charlie Heaton does a wonderful job of capturing Jonathan’s quiet, sensitive, and worried outsider persona. It’s also unclear if he would bring the same kind of enthusiasm to the part. Whether Keery and Nancy Wheeler would have gotten along as well as Heaton and Nancy do is yet another question.

Likewise, fans wouldn’t have liked anyone else playing Steve for obvious reasons. We couldn’t imagine anyone else playing Steve with his earnest goofy energy. Hence, whatever happened, happened for a good reason. Perhaps Stranger Things is a hit series because of the perfect actors for each of the characters. Had they not been able to portray their roles in such an enticing manner, the series might not have become a Netflix sensation.

Do you love Joe Keery as Steve Harrington in Stranger Things? Feel free to share your thoughts with us in the comment section below.